The rapid evolution of generative AI is driving significant changes that cannot be addressed by extending past approaches.
This is not merely a technological trendーit is a transformation that requires us to rethink everything: how we build our businesses, how our organizations operate, and how we work.
Faced with this change, LY Corporation has updated its mission to "WOW Our Users!" and redefined its values as "10x Faster," "Disrupt and Reinvent," and "Uncompromising Pursuit of No. 1."
Why is it necessary to redefine our guiding principles so fundamentally now?
We spoke with CEO Takeshi Idezawa and CPO Jungho Shin about the background and intent behind these changes.
- Takeshi Idezawa
- President and Representative Director, CEO (Chief Executive Officer), LY Corporation
- Jungho Shin
- CPO (Chief Product Officer), LY Corporation
Background of the Update: A Sense of Urgency About Changes in Environmentーand Our Strengths Within the Transformation
ーTo begin, could you briefly explain what values are?
Shin:
Values are the standards that define how a company makes decisions and takes action. They are, in a sense, the company's DNA.
Without a shared understanding of these standards, neither the organization nor its employees can move in the same direction.
Idezawa:
They are also the core axis of a company. LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN each had similar values, but at the time of integration, we established a unified set so that everyone could align and move forward together.
This update does not introduce something entirely different. Rather, in response to major changes in the environment, we have clarified and strengthened our values so that everyone can make consistent decisions and act accordingly.
ーCan you tell us about the background behind this update?
Idezawa:
Needless to say, generative AI is driving changes that cannot be addressed through extensions of past effortsーin other words, we are facing a paradigm shift.
We have repeatedly discussed how dramatically the external environment is changing, but the pace has exceeded our expectations, and the impact is immense. As management, we feel a strong sense of urgency. The question then is: what should we do?
Already, both in Japan and globally, companies that leverage generative AI to rapidly create services with small teams are emerging one after another. In this environment, "moving faster" is no longer a temporary sloganーit is a fundamental source of competitiveness.
That is why we concluded that partial improvements would not be enough, and that we should aim for "10x Faster." From there, we decided to overhaul everything, including our mission.
Shin:
Over the past one to two years, generative AI has driven innovation that is rapidly replacing many existing things. This can be described as disruption at a fundamental level.
We felt a strong sense of urgency and crisis that if we do not change ourselves, we risk becoming the ones being disrupted. That is why it was necessary to share this awareness across all employees and align everyone's perspective.
ーIn that context, what are LY Corporation's strengths? How will we compete globally?
Shin:
Even globally, generative AI services that fundamentally solve user problems are still in the early stages of development.
In other words, LY Corporation still has ample opportunity to take the lead globally in improving user productivity. Here, "productivity" refers not only to work, but to all aspects of daily lifeーinformation gathering, decision-making, communicationーmaking these activities faster and more seamless.
For instance, even small improvements in the daily lives of Japan's 100 million people would create enormous value for society.
The question is whether we will be the first to realize this, or whether others will get there first. We are now at that critical crossroads.
Given our user base and touchpoints, we believe we have a strong opportunity to take the lead.
Idezawa:
Ultimately, competitiveness comes down to how close you are to users when delivering valueーin other words, user touchpoints.
We have multiple services people use every day, such as LINE and the Yahoo! JAPAN portal, as well as the added strength of having the payment service, PayPay, within our Group.
However, this advantage is not unlimitedーit is time-bound. If we fail to turn this advantage into solutions for user challenges at this critical moment, we will not be able to fully realize its potential.
At the same time, there are very few companies globally that have user touchpoints of this scale and density and can deliver value within daily life.
The key question is whether we can leverage this strength to embed AI as value in everyday life, which will determine whether we can stay ahead. That is precisely why we must transform nowーand do so rapidly.
ーIn this update, the mission was revised alongside the values. What did you prioritize in designing them?
Shin:
Our new mission is "WOW Our Users!" We made it simpler and clearer, with a stronger focus on delivering value to users.
The mission defines the future state we aspire to, while the values set the standards for how we act to realize it.
The user-first mindset that both LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN have long upheld remains unchanged, but in this update, we have positioned it at a higher levelーas part of the mission rather than the values.
Idezawa:
"WOW Our Users!" means delivering experiences that surprise and delight usersーexperiences so compelling that they feel driven to share them with others. That has always been our core mission, and it remains unchanged.
10x Faster: Moving Beyond Incremental Improvement and Making AI Part of the Team
ーWhy "10x Faster"? Why such a drastic level of speed?
Idezawa:
Because this is no longer a world where improvements built on existing approaches alone will keep us ahead.
If we only tried to double our speed, we risk staying within our existing ways of working. Instead, we need to rethink workflows and how services are created from the ground up, redefining our assumptions.
"10x Faster" reflects our intent to transform the entire process through which value is created.
Shin:
In the IT industry, it is not uncommon for a company's stock price to plunge on any given day. That is the kind of harsh environment we are in. In fact, we are already seeing cases where development processes are being dramatically shortened.
To survive in this environment, we need to recognize that doubling speed is nowhere near enough! That sense of urgency is embedded in this value.
ーCan you share some specific examples of actions you would like employees to take?
Idezawa:
What matters is not working faster but delivering value faster.
A typical example is improving efficiency by using AI toolsーsuch as no longer having to write meeting minutes and reducing work hours by several person-months. But that is simply tool usage and does not, in itself, create meaningful value.
AI is not just a tool; it is a team member. We need to redesign how we create value with AI built in from the outset. In other words, we must change how we work at a fundamental level.
Shin:
In times like this, we may understand the general direction of change, but no one truly knows what should be done tomorrow to address the change.
Therefore, rather than waiting for instructions from a manager, it is important to start with a clean slateーthinking about how this technology can solve user problemsーthen testing ideas yourself and working with others to find the answers through discussions.
ーDoes this connect to the speed and approach when LINE was created in 2011?
Shin:
Yes, I believe it does. At that time, a paradigm shift from PCs to smartphones was taking place, and no one knew the right answer.
Amid that uncertainty, we focused on the growing user need for communication, which intensified following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Through repeated trial and error, we launched LINE in just a month and a half.
The scale of change today is even greater, but the essence is the same: focusing on user challenges, thinking from scratch, and moving quickly through trial and error.
Idezawa:
At that time, no one knew what would be needed next, and Shin-san's approach to developing services without being bound by precedent was truly striking.
We released numerous services in a short time, observed user reactions, and refined the UI/UX accordingly.
Of course, there were many failures, but it was through that process of trial and error that LINE was ultimately born.
Disrupt and Reinvent: Let Go of Past Success and Continue Creating WOW Experiences
ーWhat should be disrupted, and what should be reinvented?
Idezawa:
Past successes and existing business processes. Each individual must reexamine the tasks in front of them, redefining and rebuilding how work is done.
As organizations grow larger, their assumptions and processes tend to become fixed without anyone realizing it. If that happens, we will fall behind agile AI startups.
That is why it is essential to revisit what has become routine, focus only on what truly matters, and then commit to creating new values.
Shin:
Under previous processes, it could take six months to a year from planning to launching a service.
But in an era with no clear answers, that pace leads to a very low probability of success.
Now we are seeing environments where planners themselves can rapidly iterate through trial and error. We want everybody to increase the number of trials and errors to improve their chances of creating value.
In fact, internal volunteer teams are already challenging themselves to overhaul processes and are delivering results.
Uncompromising Pursuit of No. 1: With Grit, Take on Challenges and Enjoy Growing Together
ーWhy did you choose such a strong word as "uncompromising pursuit"?
Idezawa:
Maintaining the status quo or making incremental improvements alone will not be enough to survive in the future.
Of course, we aim to be No. 1 as a business, but each individual must also demonstrate high performance. The process is far from easyーit involves ups and downs and requires persistence and determination to see trial and error through to the end.
We chose the term "uncompromising pursuit" to express that level of commitment.
Shin:
Personally, I believe this is the moment to take bold actions and aim for major results. In terms of baseball, we need a home run right now.
We do not need to take risks in every situation, but at key turning points that can change the momentum, bold challenges are essential to win. Now is clearly such a moment.
ーIn the era of generative AI, will the structure where top runners have an advantage when launching services remain unchanged?
Shin:
The IT industry has always been structured in a way where the leading player can dominate, and this is unlikely to change.
It was the same when LINE was launched; those who first create the user experience and then refine it rapidly are the strongest.
To do that, you need overwhelming speed and a strong determination to solve user problems and become No.1.
ーFinally, what mindset is required in this time of rapid change?
Shin:
We are in an era where no one has the right answers yet. That is why it is important to think and act for yourself.
It is a very challenging time, but it also offers tremendous opportunities for individual growth. Through continuous trial and error, let's embrace this change positively.
I believe we can achieve growth far beyond what we have experienced before. It will not be easy, but let's take on the challenge and enjoy it together.
Idezawa:
This is a time of great change, but also a time of great opportunity for growth. As I mentioned earlier, what sets companies apart is whether they can change their underlying assumptions.
Both Yahoo! JAPAN and LINE have grown by capturing waves of changes in the business environment and delivering new value to users, and that foundation remains unchanged.
Going forward, we aim to continue creating services that are the No. 1 choice for our users and to remain an organization that keeps growing. I firmly believe that we can achieve this.
Interview date：March 16, 2026
Written by：LY Corporation Story Editorial Team Photos by：Yoshinobu Hibiya
*The affiliations and titles in the article are as of the time of the interview.
